Find Ancestors

I’m trying to research my grandmother’s family but I’m not having much luck as I know almost nothing about my great grandfather and very little about my great grandmother.

My great grandmothers name was Ethel Parsons. She was married to a man by the name of Thomas Joyce.

I believe that both of them were born in England and my great grandmother migrated here in the 1920’s without her husband but with her 5 children as the husband was ‘not nice’ (for want of a better word).

Together they had 5 children. Doris, Agnes (my grandmother - born in 1913), Fred, John, and Rose.

I recall my grandmother saying that she lived in a place called Willenhall in the West Midlands if that helps.

I do also recall that Ethel had a sister they called Fanny. I remembered this as when I was young I thought it was funny.

While I would like to go back as far as I can for both my great grandmother and great grandfather, I would also be interested to see where Thomas Joyce’s life took him after my great grandmother migrated here without him.

Any help to start me off would be very much appreciated.

Oh and when I say migrated here, I mean to Victoria, Australia.

Possible marriage to Henry T Joyce..

Name: Ethel A Parsons
Year of Registration: 1911
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Wolverhampton
County: Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands
Volume: 6b
Page: 796 (click to see others on page)

Linda

Possible 1901 census...

Name: Ethel A Parsons
Age: 11
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1890
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Roseina
Gender: Female
Where born: Willenhall, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Willenhall
Ecclesiastical parish: St Giles
Town: Willenhall
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration district: Willenhall
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 20
Household Members: Name Age
John Parsons 38
Roseina Parsons 36
Fanny J Parsons 13
Ethel A Parsons 11
Walter M Parsons 9
Emma Parsons 7
Florence M Parsons 5
Frederick J Parsons 3
Rosina Parsons 2
Baby Parsons 3 weeks

Linda

1911 census transcription details for: 5 a Walsall St Willenhall
RG14PN17109 RG78PN1053 RD369 SD6 ED27 SN231


Reg. District: Wolverhampton Sub District: Willenhall
Parish: Willenhall Enum. District: 27
Address: 5 a Walsall St Willenhall
County: Staffordshire


JOYCE, Thomas Henry Head Married M 24 1887 Vermin Trap Maker Journeyman England Willenhall
JOYCE, Ethel Agnes Wife Married F 21 1890 England Willenhall


Maureen

HI Linda and thank you. That's a great starting point for me.

I'd just spoken to my mother after reading your post and she was of the impression that his middle name was Henry so the information you have posted seems to fit. And Wolverhampton is a place I often recall my grandmother talking about.

Looks like we're on the right track. I'm getting excited!

Sandra

Just to add a possible marriage to Rosina Walker...

Name: John Parsons
Year of Registration: 1885
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Wolverhampton
County: Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands
Volume: 6b
Page: 531 (click to see others on page)

Linda

I have found her passage details to Aus on FindMyPast.com

passenger transcript details

Name: Mrs Ethel A JOYCE
Date of departure: 22 December 1928
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Melbourne, Australia
Passenger destination: Melbourne, Australia

Date of Birth: 1890 (calculated from age)
Age: 38
Marital status:
Sex: Female
Occupation: Dressmaker
Passenger recorded on: Page 11 of 18





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The following people with the same last name travelled on this voyage: -

Agnes JOYCE Page 11 of 18 View transcript
Frederick JOYCE Page 11 of 18 View transcript
John JOYCE Page 11 of 18 View transcript
Rosina JOYCE Page 11 of 18 View transcript



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ship: JERVIS BAY
Official Number:
Master's name:
Steamship Line:
Where bound:
Square feet:
Registered tonnage:
Passengers on voyage:
150187
J Avern
Aberdeen & Commonwealth
Australia
20039
8423
503

Linda

Births Sep 1911
Joyce Doris MMN Parsons Wolverhampton 6b 1203


Births Jun 1913
Joyce Agnes MMN Parsons Wolverhampton 6b 1264

Births Mar 1920
Joyce John MMN Parsons Wolverhampton 6b 1421


Births Jun 1922
Joyce Frederick T MMN Parsons Wolverhampton 6b 1128

Beat me to it,Linda,but did you notice on the same ship:
Name: Mrs Rosina PARSONS
Date of departure: 22 December 1928
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Melbourne, Australia
Passenger destination: Melbourne, Australia

Date of Birth: 1869 (calculated from age)
Age: 59
Marital status: Married
Sex: Female
Occupation: Housewife
Passenger recorded on: Page 11 of 18

Mr John PARSONS
Date of Birth: 1867 Age: 61
Marital status: Married
Sex: Male
Occupation: Locksmith

Maureen

Ooooer ...no Maureen I didn't spot that...well done you!!

I did think that it was a gutsy thing for Ehel to do... to emigrate on her own so to speak.

Linda : )))

Willenhall
was a well known area for locksmiths to live....

also Wednesbury

Hi Ladies and again thank you. Can't believe I have so much information in such a short time.

Yes, Rosina was born in England and it was quite a brave thing to do in that day and age I would imagine. She was a strong lady.

I'm told Henry/Thomas was very much a womaniser etc etc and my grandmother used to say she wouldn't be surprised if she had half brothers and sisters all over the place.

So is Ethels mothers maiden name Rosina Walker?

Also, (as I'm not sure where all the information you get comes from), my grandmother Agnes was born on the 11th of March 1913 and not June. Could that just be that records are not always correct?

Regards,
Sandra

if she was born in March....Parents have 6 weeks to reg the birth....

You have 4 quarters to a year....your gran was born in the 1st quarter but her birth wasnt registered untill the 2nd quarter


Jan Feb March....Apr May June....Jly Aug Sept....Oct nov Dec

That makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

Hi Sandra,
We're getting our info from a combination of Ancestry,Findmypast and FreeBMD.
As "that Bucket woman"grin pointed out-the births are registered in quarters,so a March 13th birth would quite probably be reported in April,making it the June quarter.

I was happy to notice that Ethel's parents went with her to Oz. They must have been a quite tight-knitted family.
As for Mr. JOYCE-he had to have been good looking,I hope! Call me crazy,but a journeyman vermin trap maker isn't high on my list of bedmates. (sorry)

Maureen

Just wondering what happened to Doris....she was not on the passenger list ?

Linda

1911 Census:

RG14PN17106 RG78PN1053 RD369 SD6 ED24 SN150

Reg. District: Wolverhampton Sub District: Willenhall
Parish: Willenhall Enum. District: 24
Address: 93 Walsall St Willenhall
County: Staffordshire

PARSONS, John Head Married M 50 1861 Lock Maker Employer England Willenhall
PARSONS, Rosina Wife Married
26 years F 47 1864 England Willenhall
PARSONS, Fanny Daughter Single F 23 1888 Domstic England Willenhall
PARSONS, Walter Son Single M 19 1892 Trap Fitter Vermin England Willenhall
PARSONS, Emma Daughter Single F 17 1894 Presser England Willenhall
PARSONS, Florrie Daughter Single F 15 1896 Presser England Willenhall
PARSONS, Fred Son M 13 1898 England Willenhall
PARSONS, Roseina Daughter F 11 1900 England Willenhall
PARSONS, Lilian Daughter F 10 1901 England Willenhall
PARSONS, Gladys Daughter F 6 1905 England Willenhall

Maureen

oops, think I deleted my own post.

He certainly wouldn't have been my type either! I'm told he was a good looking man though and that was probably the only good thing about him. I think he was also abusive so it's a good thing she left.

I did not know that her parents travelled with her to Australia. I did know that some of her siblings decided to reside here but am unsure when that was.

It's all very interesting to learn this about my family.

Sandra-
Whew! Glad it was you who did the deleted post. Thought I'd offended someone.

Good thing you mentioned Doris:
passenger transcript details

Name: Miss Doris JOYCE
Date of departure: 23 June 1927
Port of departure: London
Passenger destination port: Melbourne, Australia
Passenger destination: Melbourne, Australia

Date of Birth: 1912 (calculated from age)
Age: 15
Marital status:
Sex: Female
Occupation: Domestic
Address: 93 Walsall Street,Willenhall
Ship:Barrabool

So she came over first?!

Maureen
PS-night for now. Wisteria Lane is calling me. Then bedtime. x